Mail delivery signal device

ABSTRACT

A signal device for use with rural mail boxes comprises a laterally extending bracket having laterally spaced depending legs. A signal flag of any desired shape is mounted at or near its aft edge to pivotal mounting means for free swinging by gravity. A latch lever is pivotally mounted to the bracket and has a hook at its lower end to engage the forward portion of the flag and hold it in retracted position. The upper end of the lever is in the path of movement of the mail box door and is angularly displaced by opening of the door to release the flag for swinging down to signaling position. The bracket may be mounted in various ways but preferably a bail overlies the box with its free ends extending through apertures in the bracket and secured thereto. The two moving parts are freely pivoted and operate by gravity. There are no springs or sliding members and no modification of the basic mail box.

[111 3,794,240 [451 Feb. 26, 1974 MAIL DELIVERY SIGNAL DEVICE [76]lnventor: Douglas T. Myers, 206 Jackson St.,

Macon, Mo. 63552 221 Filed: June 8,1972

21 Appl.No.: 261,008

[ 52] US. Cl 232/35, 116/134, 232/37 [51] Int. Cl. B65d 91/00 [58] Fieldof Search... 232/35, 36,39, 37; 116/134,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/l952 Price..; .l 232/3511/1958 Paschke et a1.

5/1961 Stapleton 232/35 Primary ExaminerBobby R. Gay

, Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner [57] 7 ABSTRACT A signaldevice for use with rural mail boxes comprises a laterally extendingbracket having laterally spaced depending legs. A signal flag ofanydesired shape is mounted at or near its aft edge to pivotal mountingmeans for free swinging by gravity. A latch lever is pivotally mountedto the bracket and has a hook at its lower end to engage the forwardportion of. the flag and hold it in retracted position. The upper end ofthe lever is in the path of movement of the mail box door and isangularly displaced by opening of the door to release the flag forswinging down to signaling position. The bracket may be mounted invarious ways but preferably a bail overlies the box with its free endsextending through apertures in the bracket and secured thereto. The twomoving parts are freely piv oted and operate by gravity. There are nosprings or sliding members and no modification of the basic mail box.

14 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures MAIL DELIVERY SIGNAL DEVICE BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION This invention lies in the field of signal devices forrural type mail boxes and is directed to a device of this type which issimple and reliable and which is very durable in use. It is particularlydirected to such a device which requires no modification of the basicmail box structure and which obviates the need for various componentswhich have frequently deteriorated or malfunctioned in earliermechanism.

The rural type mail boxes presently in almost universal use are of thesame shape and may be obtained in two or three sizes. Basically they areelongate with flat bottom and sides and with a semicylindrical upperwall and are open at one end. A door is provided to close this end andis normally of the same shape as the cross section of the box and hingedadjacent its lower margin to open outward and downward. They are usuallymounted on posts or fence rails, and sometimes on elongate horizontalbars where several are located at one mail stop.

It is well known that most such boxes are located at the road edge forthe convenience of the mail carrier and thus are frequently at aconsiderable distance from the house for which the mail is destined.Consequently, it has become common practice to attach signal devices tothe boxes to be actuated by the carrer to indicate that he has left somemail in the box. The most usual signal is a plate of some kind to serveas a flag which may be swung to a visible position to indicate thedeposit of mailIUnfortunately, postal regulations do not permit mailcarriers to operate any signal arrangement for indicating that mail hasbeen delivered. Consequently the signal device must be arranged tooperate automatically in response to opening of the mailbox door by thecarrier.

A great many mechanisms have been devised to perform this function, andsome of them .work quite well when newly installed. However, they havevarious drawbacks which reduce their desirability. Practically all ofthem require some alteration of the box itself,

' SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention overcomes the difficultiesmentioned above and provides a construction and mode of operation whichare extremely simple and reliable, reducing first cost and requiring nomaintenance.

Generally stated, the signal device disclosed herein comprises a brackethaving means for fastening it to a support, such as the mail box itself,laterally spaced depending legs on the bracket, and a signal flagpivotally connected to the legs for swinging between a retractedgenerally horizontal position and a generally vertical signalingposition. In the preferred form, the flag is gen- .erally rectangularand the pivotal axis is adjacent to its aft margin which is well aft ofits center of gravity. Thus it extends forwardly in the direction of theforward end of the box when in its forward, retracted, position and isadapted to swing downward and rearward by gravity alone to its extended,vertical, signaling position.

A latch lever is provided to retain the flag in retracted positionbetween mail deliveries. A support arm is attached to the bracket andexends downward and forward to provide a pivot mounting below andforward of the mailbox door hinge. The latch lever is connectedintermediate its ends to the pivot mounting and is provided with aweight at its lower end to continuously urge it to an upright attitudewith its upper end close to or in contact with an intermediate portionof the face of the mail box door. The lower end is provided with anupwardly concave hook formation which passes through a fore and aftelongate slot in the flag and engages the under side of the flag toretain it. When the carrier opens the door, it swings downward andforward and angularly displaces the lever. This causes the hookformation to release the flag and allow it to swing down and back to itssignaling position. The presently preferred manner of supporting thebracket is toapply a downwardly open bail over the box with its freeends passing through apertures in the bracket, the free ends beingprovided with threads engaged by nuts to clamp the bracket to the box.

The entire device includes only four major compone nts all of which arevery simple and durable and easy to connect. It is not necessary to makeany holes in the box or to deform any part of it, and the location ofthe bracket below the box leaves maximum freedom for placement of nameplates and the like at the upper side. The device operates entirely bygravity, obviating any need for springs, complicated links or levers, orsliding members, all of which are subject to deterioration, breaking andjamming. Furthermore, it may be re-set with the use of only one handwhile the delivered mail is held in-the other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION I OF THE DRAWINGS Various other advantages andfeatures of novelty will become apparent as the description proceeds inconjunction with the-accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view'in perspective of a signal deviceincorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the device ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device;

FIG. 4' is a top plan view of the device, partly in section; a

FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevational view, partly in section, of amodified form of the device;

' FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG.

5; and

FIG. 7 is a tp plan view of the device of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A typical signal deviceincorporating the features of the invention is schematically illustratedin FIG. 1, in which bracket 10 may be in theform of a plate ofsubstantial area but preferably comprises a bar 12 which extendslaterally of the longitudinal axis of the mail box 14 with which it isto be used. Securing apertures 16 are formed through the bar near itsends, and screws may be passed through the apertures'to fasten itdirectly to the mail box or to any suitable support on which the mailbox may rest. However, in order to avoid modification of the box and tofacilitate placement at any selected point, an inverted or downwardlyopen bail 18 with legs 20 is provided and is made of a size to fitfreely over the box with the free ends of legs 20 extending down throughapertures 16 to receive nuts 22 to clamp the device to the box.

The ends of bar 12 are provided with preferably integral downwardly andrearwardly extending legs 24 wich may incorporate vertical, horizontal,and vertical sections 26, 28, and respectively. Sections 30 are providedwith pivotal mounting means in the form of apertures 32 which arealigned on a horizontal axis extending laterally of the longitudinalaxis of the mail box, and may be provided with cotter pins 34 as shown,or rivets, or bolts and nuts.

The signal flag 36 is shown in its preferred form as a substantiallyrectangular plate slightly wider than the span of the bracket and havingcut-out and downwardly depending mounting ears 38 with apertures 40 ator near the aft margin. Apertures 40 are laterally aligned withapertures 32 in the legs, and cotter pins 34 provide a free pivotalmounting. Since the center of gravity of the flag is near its center ofarea, the pivotal mounting axis is well aft of the center of gravity sothat the flag wll freely swing down from its horizontal retractedposition to its vertical signaling position in response to the force ofgravity if it is released.

In order to retain the flag in retracted position prior to maildelivery, a latch lever 42 is pivotally mounted at an intermediate pointby means of pivot 44 to a support arm 46 which is mounted on bar 12 bybolt type fasteners 48, although alternatively it may be welded to thebar or made integral with it. Several holes 50 and .52 may be formed inthe lever and arm respectively as shown to. provide for adjustment asdesired. The support arm preferably extends downward and outward asshown to locate pivot 44 below the level of the bottom of the box andforward of the hinge 54 of the box cover 56.

As best seen in H0. 2, flag 36 is formed with a central, axiallyelongate slot 58, at the forward end of which is provided a downwardlydirectd laterally ex: tending lip 60. The lower end 62 of the latchlever is provided with an upwardly concave hook formation 64 whichpasses down through the slot to underlie the flag and engage lip 60 at aright angle. This small area of contact provides a slight drag toprevent'accidental releasing movement. The upper end 66 of the lever iscurved somewhat backward so that only its tip 68 will contact theintermediate portion of the face 70 of the box cover 56.

When the carrieropens door 56 to place mail in the box, the door swingsout and down about its hinge 54,

and the contact of face 70 with tip 68 angularly displaces the latchlever with the result that hook formation 64 swings back and up,disengaging lip and allowing the flag to swing down to its signalingposition. It will be noted that the position of pivot 44 below thebottom-of the box insures that portion 66 of the lever will notinterfere with opening of the door to its maximum extent. Weight 72 issecured to lower end 62 by rivets 74 and serves to continuously urge thelever to its upright attitude. Because of this, the flag 36 may beretracted and latched simply by raising it with one hand while the otherhand is free to hold the delivered mail. The lever may be adjusted sothat tip 68 is lightly in contact with face or slightly spaced from itas desired.

Legs 30 extend well below pivotal mountings 32 to stop the flag at thebottom of its swing. If it is desired to prevent the flag from swingingin the wind, retaining means may be provided adjacent to the lower endsof the legs. These may be of various types, such as spring latches, butit is presently preferred to use magnetic discs 76. The flat may be madeof ferrous metal or it may be of other material such as plastic,'inwhich case the portions which contact the magnets will be pieces offerrous metal.

A somewhat modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7in which the flag supporting legs are located closer togetherand thepivotal mounting means are beneath the box where they are protected to agreat extent from inclement weather. In this form, bracket 7 includes abar similar to bar 12 of the first form, with apertures near its ends toreceive legs 20 of the bail. However, the flag supporting legs 82arelocated inwardly of the bar'ends as shown-and include horizontalsections 84 and vertical sections 86. The latter are substantiallyshorter than those of the first form and have no extensions to serve asstops for the flag. pivotal mounting means 88 are adjacent to the lowerends of these sections86.

The flag .90 is generally the same as flag 36 but somewhat narrower and,instead of small cut-out ears at the aft end, a continuous dependingflange 92 is provided at each side to stiffen the entire plate. A slot94 and lip 96 are provided in the same manner as before and the samelatch lever 42 is employedto operate in the same way. A modified form ofsupport arm comprises a channel-shaped member 98 having a verticalsection 100 and a horizontal section 102, the forward portion of whichhas an axial slot 104 to receive the latch lever. Pivot pin 106 passingthrough the side walls of the channel carries the latch lever. Thesupport arm may be secured to bar 80 by machine screw 108 or othersuitable fastening means. The total operation of the device is basicallythe same as that of the previously described form. Y I

While the invention has been described with reference toits applicationto a mail box it obviously has application to other type containers withwhich item be used to indicate whether the door has been opened.

What is claimed is: l. A signal device for use in combination with anelongated mail box having an open forward end and a door hingedlymounted at its lower portion to normally cover the open end, comprising:i

a bracket provided with means for mounting it beneath and in thevicinity of the forward end of the box and having pivotal mounting meansdirected along a lateral axis with respect to the longitudinal axis ofthe box;

a generally planar signal flag pivotally connected to the pivotalmounting means of the bracket forswinging between a first, retracted,position with its plane generally horizontal and spaced below the bottomof the box, and a second, extended, signaling position with its planegenerally vertical;

the pivotal connection of the flag to the bracket being spaced aft ofthe center of gravity of the flag rearwardly with respect to the openforward end of the box to cause the flag to swing downward and rearwardto its signaling position solely by the action of gravity;

and a latch lever pivotally mounted to the bracket on an axis extendinglaterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box to extend ina generally upright attitude with its lower end in a position toreleasably engage the flag and retain it in retracted position and itsupper end separate from said door in a position in the path of openingmovement of the box door to be angularly engaged and cammed by same torelease the flag to swing down to its signaling position.

2. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the pivotal mountingof the latch lever to the bracket is located below the level of thebottom of the mail box. g

3. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the pivotal mountingof the latch lever to the bracket is located below and forward of themail box door hinge.

4. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein a weight is secured tothe latch lever below its pivotal mounting to continuously urge thelever toward upand the hook formation extends through the slot to engagethe flag at its under side.

7. A signal device as claimed in claim 6; wherein the flag is providedat the forward end of the slot with a downwardly directed laterallyextending lip for secure engagement with the concave portion of the hookformation.

8. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the bracket isprovided with laterally spaced securing apertures;

and the bracket mounting means comprises a downwardly open bailconfigured to overlie the mail box with its free ends passing throughthe securing ap ertures, and fasteners connected to the free ends at theunder side of the bracket.

9. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the bracket comprisesa laterally extending bar having securing apertures in the vicinity ofits ends, and laterally spaced downwardly extending legs;

and the pivotal mounting means are on the legs for swingably mountingthe flag. 10. A signal device as claimed in claim 9; wherein the legsare located at the outer ends of the bar and extend rearward anddownward; and the flag is connectd adjacent to its aft margin to thepivotal mounting means. 11. A signal device as claimed in claim 10;wherein the legs extend a substantial distance below the pivotalmounting means to-serve asstops for the flag in its signaling position.12. A signal device as claimed in claim ilk-wherein retaining means areprovided adjacent to the lower ends of the legs to restrain the flagagainst swinging. 13. A signal device as claimed in claim 12; wherein agenerally planar signal flagpivotally connected to the pivotal mountingmeans of the bracket for swinging between a first, retracted, positionwith itsplane generally horizontal and spaced below the bottom of thecontainer, and a second, extended, signaling position with its planegenerally vertical;

the pivotal connection of the flag to the bracket being spaced aft ofthe center of gravity of the flag rearwardly with respect to the openforward end of the container to cause the flag to swing downward andrearward to its signaling position solely by-the action of gravity;

and a latch lever pivotally mounted to the bracket on an axis extendinglaterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container toextend in a generally upright attitude with its lower end in a positionto releasably engage the flag and retain it in re-v tracted position andits upper end separate from said door in a position in the path ofopening movement of the container door to be angularly engaged andcammed by same to release the flag to swing down to its signalingposition.

1. A signal device for use in combination with an elongated mail boxhaving an open forward end and a door hingedly mounted at its lowerportion to normally cover the open end, comprising: a bracket providedwith means for mounting it beneath and in the vicinity of the forwardend of the box and having pivotal mounting means directed along alateral axis with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box; agenerally planar signal flag pivotally connected to the pivotal mountingmeans of the bracket for swinging between a first, retracted, positionwith its plane generally horizontal and spaced below the bottom of thebox, and a second, extended, signaling position with its plane generallyvertical; the pivotal connection of the flag to the bracket being spacedaft of the center of gravity of the flag rearwardly with respect to theopen forward end of the box to cause the flag to swing downward andrearward to its signaling position solely by the action of gravity; anda latch lever pivotally mounted to the bracket on an axis extendinglaterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box to extend ina generally upright attitude with its lower end in a position toreleasably engage the flag and retain it in retracted position and itsupper end separate from said door in a position in the path of openingmovement of the box door to be angularly engaged and cammed by same torelease the flag to swing down to its signaling position.
 2. A signaldevice as claimed in claim 1; wherein the pivotal mounting of the latchlever to the bracket is located below the level of the bottom of themail box.
 3. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the pivotalmounting of the latch lever to the bracket is located below and forwardof the mail box door hinge.
 4. A signal device as claimed in claim 1;wherein a weight is secured to the latch lever below its pivOtalmounting to continuously urge the lever toward upright attitude.
 5. Asignal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the lower end of the latchlever is provided with an upwardly concave hook formation; and keepermeans is provided on the flag to engage the hook formation.
 6. A signaldevice as claimed in claim 5; wherein the flag is formed with anelongate slot therethrough; and the hook formation extends through theslot to engage the flag at its under side.
 7. A signal device as claimedin claim 6; wherein the flag is provided at the forward end of the slotwith a downwardly directed laterally extending lip for secure engagementwith the concave portion of the hook formation.
 8. A signal device asclaimed in claim 1; wherein the bracket is provided with laterallyspaced securing apertures; and the bracket mounting means comprises adownwardly open bail configured to overlie the mail box with its freeends passing through the securing apertures, and fasteners connected tothe free ends at the under side of the bracket.
 9. A signal device asclaimed in claim 1; wherein the bracket comprises a laterally extendingbar having securing apertures in the vicinity of its ends, and laterallyspaced downwardly extending legs; and the pivotal mounting means are onthe legs for swingably mounting the flag.
 10. A signal device as claimedin claim 9; wherein the legs are located at the outer ends of the barand extend rearward and downward; and the flag is connectd adjacent toits aft margin to the pivotal mounting means.
 11. A signal device asclaimed in claim 10; wherein the legs extend a substantial distancebelow the pivotal mounting means to serve as stops for the flag in itssignaling position.
 12. A signal device as claimed in claim 11; whereinretaining means are provided adjacent to the lower ends of the legs torestrain the flag against swinging.
 13. A signal device as claimed inclaim 12; wherein the retaining means are magnetic members; and at leastthose portions of the flag which contact the retaining means are ferrousmetal.
 14. In combination with an elongated container having an openforward end and a door hingedly mounted thereon which opens by gravitywhen unlocked, a signal device comprising: a bracket provided with meansfor mounting it beneath and in the vicinity of the forward end of thecontainer and having pivotal mounting means directed along a lateralaxis with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container; a generallyplanar signal flag pivotally connected to the pivotal mounting means ofthe bracket for swinging between a first, retracted, position with itsplane generally horizontal and spaced below the bottom of the container,and a second, extended, signaling position with its plane generallyvertical; the pivotal connection of the flag to the bracket being spacedaft of the center of gravity of the flag rearwardly with respect to theopen forward end of the container to cause the flag to swing downwardand rearward to its signaling position solely by the action of gravity;and a latch lever pivotally mounted to the bracket on an axis extendinglaterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container toextend in a generally upright attitude with its lower end in a positionto releasably engage the flag and retain it in retracted position andits upper end separate from said door in a position in the path ofopening movement of the container door to be angularly engaged andcammed by same to release the flag to swing down to its signalingposition.